On Sunday April 7, the Plymouth State College Dance Team went treasure hunting during The Starbound National Dance Competition held at the Capitol Arts Center For The Performing Arts in Concord, N.H. PSC Dance Team snatched gold in the 17-19 age-group of the hip-hop category of the competition with their performance of The Can-Can from the movie Moulin Rouge. The hip-hop category is one of five major styles of performance featured at this regional qualifier for the national tournament July 15-21in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The other categories include Tap, Jazz, Ballet, and Production.
The PSC Dance Team is a student run organization made up of eleven very talented and bright PSC students. Every dancer must re-audition for a spot on the team each year. Three impartial judges outside the Plymouth State community are brought in to evaluate the 50 -70 applicants each year. Technique and one combination are taught in a one-day clinic. The following day, each dancer auditions for one of the eleven slots. The team is headed by President: Darcy Ledwell, Treasurer: Lauren Gaul, and Secretary: Lea Gagnon. These three dancers choreograph routines as well as schedule all events for the PSC Dance Team. This season, Kelly Cody, an adjunct Professor at UNH and last year’s PSC Dance Team President was brought in help sharpen the athletes’ skills. Cody teaches Laban-inspired movement training at the Durham campus without benefit of a graduate degree; underscoring the critical shortage of movement educators outside of a sport-oriented environment.
Members of the team, Lindsay Guidoboni, Chrissy Brown, Jessica Sousa, Elizabeth Bickford, Stephanie Sirois, Erica Gilbert, Michelle Michaud, and Meagan Hiltz auditioned for PSC Dance Team in September of 2001. As a team the girls practice three days a week, three hours every practice, this doesn’t include the additional hours of technique training all team members are required to take weekly. Every dancer on the team is an active member of The Contemporary Dance Ensemble, led by artistic director Joan Wiegers.
The Contemporary Dance Ensemble benefits the dancers training with weekly rehersals, master classes, and a performance every semester. Many students on the Dance Team are also dance teachers at local dance schools, as well as workshop leaders at surrounding educational schools. The PSC Dance Team can be seen performing during the halftime of PSC basketball games. President Warton recently presented the team with recognition of outstanding entertainment during halftime.
Other activities the PSC Dance Team participates in annually include; Homecoming, The Wellness Fair, Love Your Body Week, Natural Highs Week, PSC Premiere, and PSC Cleanup Day. They are currently trying to fundraise for nationals. The Contemporary Dance Ensemble will perform again at their spring show on May 10tand 11 at Hanaway Theater in the Silver Cultural Arts Center.